A Visit to the ER and a Change of Mindset

A sad thing happened to my little Liza last week. I had just gotten home from helping at the kids’ school when my husband called to tell me the school called him about a playground accident with Liza. He asked if I could go back and check it out. I hurried back to school and into the nurse’s room, and there was Liza covered in blood. Thankfully I’m pretty calm in these kind of situations! I quickly assessed what had happened and knew we would be visiting the emergency room.

The story was a little jumbled, but I got Liza calmed down enough in the ER to get the whole story. She had been playing with friends on the playground and a little girl found a big chunk of ice. She wanted to break it into two pieces, so she threw it at a tree…missed the tree and hit Liza in the face. It sliced open her cheek right under her eye. The cut was about an inch long and very deep. It is amazing how those things can bleed! Her hair was soaked in blood, along with her coat and clothes. (I understand the little girl who threw the ice cried nearly as much as Liza did! It was a very graphic lesson for all the kids there that day!)

The ER doctor and nurse were very kind and did a great job of stitching her up. She only screamed three or four times! Sixteen stitches later we headed home to recuperate from the fun of the day. (See her sad picture below).

Well, I was shaken and very sad. I kept feeling sorry for my pretty little girl with a big cut – and possible scar – on her face. I was living in the current situation, and only seeing the negative. I had to make myself step back and look at it from a different angle. It is what it is, and it’s not so bad. She is healing well, is no worse for the accident, and is going to be fine.

I promised last week to continue the vision exercise, and this ties right in! Your current situation is what it is, and will stay what it is unless you change something. Change the angle you’re looking at it from, change your mindset, your perspective, your habits…something.

So here’s what I want you to do:

I want you to write down five statements about Who You are Right Now. You can look at health, relationships, work, finances, appearance, or any other areas you would like to evaluate. For example, a statement might be “I am dissatisfied with my financial situation right now.” This appraisal should be your own honest assessment of who you really are now, not what you would like to be or how you think you should be.

Now I want you to think about what your situation was five years ago in these same five area. Then…this is when it gets fun, assess how your own behavior over the last five years has contributed positively or negatively to your present situation.

Next I want you to think five years in the future, and imagine you are looking in a mirror at the future you. What will you be like in each of those same five areas? Write it down.

Here’s where the rubber meets the road: Ask your future self “How can I make that happen?” or “How/What do I need to learn now to make this happen?” Write it down!

Last exercise – I want you to write one action step that you need to take right now in each area that will get you on the road to your future self. WRITE IT DOWN and write a due date. When will you have that action step done? This is the difference between a dream and a plan. You must take responsibility for your own future, and make a plan to get there.

I can’t take that ice chunk back, and I can’t undo the hurt that happened to Liza last week. You can’t undo your past and your actions that led to your current situation. But you can change your future. Isn’t that amazing! You are in control of who you will be and what you will be like in five years. Do it today. Write it down. I promise you can change who you will become,.

“I live about 40 miles from Total Care Dental and the drive is worth it. I have been a patient for 4 years now and have been treated with the best customer service any patient could hope for! ”

- Archer

“They take such good care of everyone in the office! Michelle is definitely the best dentist in the valley and her assistants are the most entertaining you will find.”

- Amanda

“I get compliments on my smile on a regular basis and, without exception, I always give credit to the folks at Total Care Dental. Michelle is a great dentist and Jilene always makes me feel like a dental supermodel!”

- Cheryl

*The reviews listed are from actual patients of Total Care Dental. Individual results may vary. Reviews are not claimed to represent results for everyone.